Bye Bye Democracy!: December 2012

Saturday, December 29, 2012

Pathocracy

Definition of Pathocracy from Enpsychopedia: (from Greek pathos, "feeling, pain, suffering"; and kratos, "rule")
A pathocracy is a totalitarian form of government in which absolute political power is held by a psychopathic elite, and their effect on the people is such that the entire society is ruled and motivated by purely pathological values.
A pathocracy can take many forms and can insinuate itself covertly into any seemingly just system or ideology. As such it can masquerade under the guise of a democracy or theocracy as well as more openly oppressive regimes.
The term pathocracy was created by Polish psychologist Dr. Andrzej M. Łobaczewski as a result of his study of ponerology. The word reflects Lobaczewski's treatment of the phenomenon as something analogous to a disease or pathology, on a macrosocial level.

Characteristics

Suppression of individualism and creativity.
Impoverishment of artistic values.
Impoverishment of moral values; a social structure based on self-interest and one-upmanship, rather than altruism.
Fanatical ideology; often a corrupted form of a valid viable 'trojan' ideology which is perverted into a pathological form, bearing little resemblance to the substance of the original.
Intolerance and suspicion of anyone who is different, or who disagrees with the state.
Centralized control
Corruption
Secret activities within government, but surveillance of the general population. (In contrast, a healthy society would have transparent government processes, and respect for privacy of the individual citizen).
Paranoid and reactionary government.
Excessive, arbitrary, unfair and inflexible legislation; the power of decision making is reduced/removed from the citizens' everyday lives.
An attitude of hypocrisy and contempt demonstrated by the actions of the ruling class, towards the ideals they claim to follow, and towards the citizens they claim to represent.
Controlled media, dominated by propaganda.
Extreme inequality between the richest and poorest.
Endemic use of corrupted psychological reasoning such as paramoralisms, conversive thinking and doubletalk.
Rule by force and/or fear of force.
People are considered as a 'resource' to be exploited (hence the term "human resources"), rather than as individuals with intrinsic human worth.
Spiritual life is restricted to inflexible and indoctrinare schemes. Anyone attempting to go beyond these boundaries is considered a heretic or insane, and therefore dangerous.
Arbitrary divisions in the population (class, ethnicity, creed) are inflamed into conflict with one another.
Suppression of free speech - public debate, demonstration, protest.
Violation of basic human rights, for example: restriction or denial of basic life necessities such as food, water, shelter; detainment without charge; torture and abuse; slave labour.

Further research:

The book by Andrew M. Lobaczewski that coined the term pathocracy: Political Ponerology.
Diagnosis: Pathocracy Cure: Commonwealth
The Pathocracy Blog
How Societies Regress to Become Pathocracies
Pathocracy: Tyranny at the Hand of Psychopaths

The Power Principle

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

"Americans Kill People": Michael Moore on Newtown, Mass Shootings, and the U.S. Culture of Violence

Michael Moore:

Yes, we need more gun control. Yes, we need free mental health services in this country. But I really believe that even if we had better gun control laws and better mental health, that we would still be the sort of sick and twisted, violent people that we’ve been for hundreds of years, that it’s something that’s just in our craw, just in our DNA.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg:

“It’s time for the president, I think, to stand up and lead and tell this country what we should do — not go to Congress and say, ‘What do you guys want to do?’” Bloomberg said on NBC’s “Meet The Press.” “This should be his number one agenda. He’s president of the United States. And if he does nothing during his second term, something like 48,000 Americans will be killed with illegal guns.” —Bloomberg: Gun control should be Obama’s ‘number one agenda’

Adele M. Stan, in her introduction, echoing some of Michael Moore's views that we have a culture problem: AlterNet Radio Hour - December 15, 2012